Never Again
by Kaira-chan15
Summary: This takes place when Sasuke is with Orochimaru, and Naruto has come to rescue him again. Sasuke is starting to ponder his exfriend's actions. When Sasuke is faced with a decison of fulfilling his revenge, or saving his friend, what will he choose?


Never Again

This is just another fanfiction on the brotherly/friendly relationship between Naruto and Sasuke, so not for Sasuke/Naruto lovers. This takes place where Sasuke is with Orochimaru, and Naruto and everyone come to save him.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"Normal Talking"

_Thinking_

Sasuke stared at the battle going on before him with glazed eyes. Apparently, Naruto had still not given up on him. And everyone was there this time, too. All of the Rookie 9 were there, and Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari too. Kakashi, Asuma, Gai, Kurenai, and Iruka were also there. So were Lee, Neji, and Tenten. Heck, even Jiraiya was there. How Naruto had gotten all of them to come, he would never know.

He couldn't understand why they were all fighting so hard. He couldn't understand why they had so much determination in their eyes. And most importantly, he couldn't understand why they came. Hadn't he come to Orochimaru on his own choice? Why couldn't they get it through their heads to give up on him? He wasn't going back.

Orochimaru had ordered him to stay out of sight, so he was hiding in the darkness nearby. Orochimaru had actually come into the fight this time. He was fighting with Naruto nearby, while the others were fighting with sound ninjas and Kabuto.

Sasuke watched his ex-teammate, confused. Naruto was fighting with fire burning in his eyes. He was losing the battle, but he still fought. Blood was pouring out of him, but he never backed down.

_Why? Why does he fight so hard for me? _Sasuke wondered. _I betrayed everyone. I betrayed all of Konoha….I betrayed him._ He watched as Naruto took another hit and blood dribbled down his arm. _Why does he ignore the blood that pours so freely from him?_ Naruto took hit after hit, but that didn't stop him from charging right back in.

Sasuke thought back to their battle, where he had told Naruto that he had become his best friend, and where Naruto had told him that when he was with him, he wondered if that was what having a brother was like. _But I said that I would break those bonds, so why does he still fight?_ Sasuke gasped as realization hit him.

Memories came rushing into his mind. Pictures flashed in front of his eyes. Naruto leaning on him for support when they had both got to the top of the tree…Sasuke and Naruto's (accidental) kiss…Sasuke standing in front of Naruto to protect him from Haku…Naruto holding him as Sasuke was about to die from Haku's attacks…

_Why have I been so blind all this time?_ Sasuke's eyes were wide. _I said that I would sever those bonds, but they never really were severed. I just made myself believe that they were._ Sasuke glanced at Naruto as he was knocked to the ground into his own puddle of blood. He wasn't able to get up this time.

_Friendship…it runs very deep. If you have a true friend, then it's not simple to end that relationship…Also…a brotherly relationship runs very deep too. It's just as difficult to get rid of that. _He clenched his fists. _Naruto is my best friend, my brother. I was so focused on killing Itachi, and doing anything to get to that, that I tried to break something that was unbreakable. I will not let him die here!_

Orochimaru stood over the bloody heap that was Naruto. He smirked cruelly. "You brought this upon yourself. Sasuke-kun came to me, he is mine now," he rasped. "He will not go back. Haven't you learned that already? Give up; you're going to die now.

"I'll make it quick and painless for you." He put his hands together and performed the correct jutsus, and a snake shot out of his mouth towards Naruto. Out of the snake's mouth came a sword. There was no way Naruto would be able to dodge in the condition he was in, and Orochimaru knew it.

A pained scream echoed throughout the hideout, and blood splattered onto the ground.

All the fighting had ceased, and everything was silent. All the ninjas on Naruto's side were too horrified to turn around, too horrified to see Naruto's ripped up body. _This is the end,_ they were all thinking. They knew that Naruto was about the only one that might be able to convince Sasuke to come back. Kakashi was the only one brave enough to look.

Naruto weakly lifted his head, wondering why he wasn't dead yet. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw. Sasuke's face was contorted in pain. He was crouched over his friend, with a blood stained sword sticking into his back and bursting through from his stomach. Naruto tried to find something to say, but couldn't.

Sasuke forced a weak smile onto his face. "H-hey. Are you ok, y-you baka?" His smiled soon vanished when his face twisted with pain again and he coughed up blood. It splattered onto Naruto's face.

"S-Sasuke…w-why'd you…?" Naruto stuttered, confused. Hadn't Sasuke almost killed him the last time they fought? Hadn't he abandoned everyone to run off to Orochimaru? Why was he protecting him now!?

Sasuke looked up towards the ceiling. "Just like old times, huh Naruto?" Naruto's eyes widened even more. "Except this time, our opponent is much stronger than Haku."

"_O-our _opponent?" Naruto asked. Sasuke once again tried to smile.

"Yes, _our _opponent," He repeated. "Naruto, I messed up big this time. I almost killed the closest thing to a brother I had…and I don't want to do it again. Thinking back…I never really planned anything for my life. All I knew was that I wanted to kill my brother, but after I met you, for once in my life, I thought "But what will I do after that?" You made me think there was more to life.

"I think that was what made me go to Orochimaru in the first place. I concentrated less and less on killing my brother when I was with you, and I was ashamed of that. I had almost given up my revenge. And that's why I tried to sever the bonds between us. I was afraid."

Naruto gave a small gasp. Sasuke was…afraid? He had never imagined someone like Sasuke to be afraid…

But Sasuke was not done with his speech yet. "I messed up big this time, and I'm going to make it up to you. I'm going to make it up to Sakura, Kakashi, Iruka sensei, the entire rookie 9, everyone; but especially you," Sasuke took a deep breath and flashed his Sharingan on. "I made a big mistake, but I won't make that mistake again. Never again."

With a grimace he pulled himself to his feet and turned around to face Orochimaru. "Now Sasuke-kun…" Orochimaru began. "You're making a big mistake-" Sasuke cut him off.

"The only mistake I made was going to you in the first place! But now, I'll finally set things right and put you where you should be, in hell!" Sasuke (Thanks to his training with Orochimaru) performed the jutsus so fast Naruto could barely see them. "Grand Fireball no jutsu!" A rush of fire was aimed at Orochimaru, who had barely dodged it for he was too busy trying to think of ways to change Sasuke's mind.

Sasuke grimaced as pain shot through him. _Damnit…how did I think I would be able to win? He's one of the three legendary Sannin! But I can't lose, I have to win! I promised Naruto I would make it up to him…_ Sasuke looked up with new fire in his eyes.

_Never again._ Those two words echoed in his head and he drew his kunais out and ran at Orochimaru. He slashed them again and again as Orochimaru tried to say more things to make him stay. But Sasuke wasn't listening to a word of it. He has listened to his lies for much too long. It was going to end right here, right now.

"Sasuke-kun, be reasonable!" Orochimaru said as he dodged another attack by Sasuke. "Without my power, you'll never be able to defeat your brother. If you get killed here, you can't kill Itachi." The words sunk in, and Sasuke hesitated for a moment. But only a moment.

"I wasted half my life preparing to kill Itachi. And what was the result? It landed me here. I had no friends or anyone to care about, or anyone who cared about me," Sasuke said fiercely. "Sometimes I thought life wasn't worth it. But then I met Naruto, and Sakura and Kakashi. And for once in a long time…I felt like my life really meant something…

"But then…then I threw all that away. Threw it all away to fulfill my selfish desires…Now that I think about it…I should die…to make up for all the pain I've caused. My revenge isn't worth anything if the things that are important to me are dead!"

Orochimaru frowned. He looked disappointed. "I see nothing will change your mind. Very well then. You could have had power, and been the perfect subordinate," he said. "But I guess I'll have to kill you now." Before Sasuke could defend himself, Orochimaru was a few inches away from him. "Goodbye, Uchiha Sasuke." The sword was thrust deep into Sasuke's chest. Sasuke gasped and coughed up blood violently.

Naruto watched his best friend helplessly. _Sasuke…please don't die…_Although he knew it was hopeless. This was his second stab wound, and it was right through his heart. Even Tsunade wouldn't be able to save him now.

Orochimaru knew something wasn't right. Sasuke was _smirking._ He had just got stabbed through the chest and he was smirking. Sasuke's hand enclosed around Orochimaru's and held him there. Orochimaru grunted and tried to pull away but Sasuke had gotten surprisingly stronger. "You're not getting away this time. I'm ending this, now." Orochimaru was confused, but he was soon answered.

Blood curling screams rang through air. This pain was worse than anything Orochimaru had ever felt before. His screams grew louder as the chidori went all the way through his chest and came out of his back. Sasuke's smirk grew wider. "Now we're even," he said. "While you weren't paying attention I created the chidori, and I didn't even need to chase you around with it because you were right in front of me."

Orochimaru sank to his knees. He cast one last glance at Jiraiya, who was standing nearby, then collapsed. He was dead the moment he hit the floor.

Sasuke clutched the wound on his chest and stomach. It was getting very difficult to breathe. Everything around him was getting blurry, and he didn't have the strength to even stand. _Is this the end for me…? _He wondered. _Ah well…as long as Naruto and everyone else is safe…_he didn't even notice he was falling backwards.

But Naruto did. Using his last ounce of strength, he forced himself to his feet and dove forward just in time to catch Sasuke before he hit the ground. (Like in episode 16) Sasuke forced his eyes to stay open. He couldn't die yet, not until he told Naruto something.

"Sasuke…why?" Naruto's tear-filled eyes held on tightly to the pale figure in his arms, "Why didn't you just tell me you were afraid?!"

"N-Naruto," Sasuke struggles to keep awake, "I'm so…sorry. If I could g-give a-anything in the world…"

"Sasuke, stay awake!" cries Naruto shaking the boy a little.

"I'd want you as my…brother. Being in Team 7 was the…b-best thing that ever h-happened to me…I just… want y-you to know… that." Sasuke's eyes slowly closed, and a silence fell upon the place.

"Sasuke? Sasuke you teme! Don't you dare die on me! Wake up, please!" Naruto looks down to find his ex-teammate dead. The blond brings Sasuke's face close to his chest, the Uchiha's blood getting on his orange and black jacket. "Sasuke, it'll be alright. I'll bring you to Granny- Hokage and she'll heal-" He feels a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he finds its Kakashi's hand.

Kakashi shakes his head. "Naruto…there is nothing we can do." He removes his hand and turns away to give Naruto some time.

Naruto looks back down at his friend. _He looks so peaceful, innocent. Why did it have to end this way? _He hears his named being called, but it sounds distant; he's in his own world. Suddenly, a sharp pain runs through his stomach as Naruto snaps back to reality. He looks down to see a sword going through his chest and barely missing Sasuke.

"Hehe, you little brat," says Kabuto grinning widely as he watches the blood coming out of Naruto's wound, " You and Sasuke-kun are such good friends, why not die together?"

Naruto is too stunned to do anything. He hears the sound of Kakashi's chidori and Kabuto's agonizing scream.

Kabuto hits the ground and dies instantly because of the major wounds he already encountered. The other sound ninjas look at Kakashi, horrified, and disappear.

Sakura runs up to her teammates; the others stay their distance. "Naruto-kun, are you ok?" Then she looks down at the ebony-haired boy and starts to cry.

Naruto gently sets Sasuke on the ground. A tear falls from his cheeks and lands next to Sasuke's motionless body. Suddenly, Naruto feels a sharp pain in his chest. _Damnit. _The pain gets unbearable and the blond can't take it anymore. He doesn't realize that he hits the floor. Naruto can hear his name being called, but it sounds very distant. Everything around him starts going into a blur. Looking over at his ex-teammate, Naruto reaches out to grab Sasuke's hand. "I forgive you…Sasuke." As if in slow motion, life itself seems to be slipping away, and everything goes black.

_Special Thanks to LostForever06 who helped me so much with this story!_

-Sniff sniff- There you have it. I'm not usually one for depressing endings, but this is one of the few I'll write. So please review, and if you do, please send a review to LostForever06 with your comments too. She helped me with some of the ideas for this story, and she also wrote some of it. She did an awesome job:D


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